VS flight dirverted due to in-flight brawl

[thewinchester]

Well, looks like someone couldn't handle their beer and inconvenienced a whole lot of people.

'Some things weren't meant to fly' - this guy should be included.

Virgin Atlantic flight forced to make emergency landing after drunken in-flight brawl
By Travelmail Reporter
Last updated at 12:31 PM on 26th October 2010

A Virgin Atlantic flight en route from Florida to Britain was forced to make an emergency landing in Canada after a passenger was involved in a drunken mid-flight argument with his wife and father-in-law.

The packed passenger plane was forced to make an unplanned touchdown in Newfoundland after a row, which had erupted between the three passengers, turned violent.

Cabin crew reported that a male passenger was being 'disruptive' and had been drinking and arguing with relatives.

The Boeing 747-400 flight from Orlando to Manchester landed in Gander, Newfoundland.

Canadian police met the plane, carrying 451 passengers and 17 crew, when it landed, and arrested 44-year-old British man Roy Anthony Heaps.

 

[samh004]

I bet he’ll be happy he was arrested in Canada and not the US… no mention of air marshals intervening on that flight?

I note however:

Passengers wrote about the incident on an aviation website, with one describing it as 'terrifying'.

He wrote: 'The turbulence had been bad and when told we had to land urgently, with no explanation, myself and my family were absolutely terrified and were convinced we were about to die. We had no knowledge of the unruly passenger.'

Should the captain have made an announcement that more clearly conveyed what was going on, or in this situation, is it wise not to do so?

Also, which website

 

[oz_mark]

Should the captain have made an announcement that more clearly conveyed what was going on, or in this situation, is it wise not to do so?

I guess it depends whether the captain thought making such an announcement would inflame the passenger even further.

 

[samh004]

I guess it depends whether the captain thought making such an announcement would inflame the passenger even further.

I thought he may not have made it for the reason that if it was an attack (and there’s nothing to say it was, just saying) then an announcement about an unruly passenger may spark the other attackers into action sort of thing.

If the perpetrator is restrained suitably, surely assuring the other pax that there’s nothing to worry about and informing them of the situation (if allowed to do so) is a better course of action. A plane full of terrified pax isn’t a good thing.

 

[straitman]

I thought he may not have made it for the reason that if it was an attack (and there’s nothing to say it was, just saying) then an announcement about an unruly passenger may spark the other attackers into action sort of thing.

If the perpetrator is restrained suitably, surely assuring the other pax that there’s nothing to worry about and informing them of the situation (if allowed to do so) is a better course of action. A plane full of terrified pax isn’t a good thing.

Maybe the Captain was busy flying the aircraft :!:

 

[samh004]

Maybe the Captain was busy flying the aircraft :!:

All he did was turn it towards Canada. I’m not saying that flying a plane is easy, but using the excuse that he was flying isn’t the answer.

 

[markis10]

All he did was turn it towards Canada. I’m not saying that flying a plane is easy, but using the excuse that he was flying isn’t the answer.

I doubt he even turned it towards Canada given he was more than likely flying over Canada at the time.

 

[samh004]

I doubt he even turned it towards Canada given he was more than likely flying over Canada at the time.

I figured that before I saw the graphic in the article… but I do appreciate it’d be wrong.

 

[NM]

I figured that before I saw the graphic in the article… but I do appreciate it’d be wrong.

They would have been heading way further north than that graphic implies. Have a look at the Great Circle routing:
http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=...=kts&RANGE-STYLE=best&RANGE-COLOR=&MAP-STYLE=